Ten volumes. Ten covers. Ten of our favorite artists and collaborators reflect on their work with PALMER and their time in Palm Beach.

 

PALMER was my first experience working on a fashion story that wasn’t strictly fashion-driven. Palm Beach revealed a range of quirks and surreal qualities that I naturally respond to, which made working there, exploring the area, and photographing it especially memorable.
—KangHee Kim, Vol. 01

 

My parents grew up in a small town in western Palm Beach county. My mother recalls her childhood summers, when the family would relocate to Palm Beach for the season because it was too hot and miserable inland. There were definitely some time warp moments happening during the shoot, full circle kind of feelings. It was also a strange vibe because the day we arrived was just a couple days after the FBI raided Mar-a-lago.
—Roe Ethridge, Vol. 02

 

The portfolio I made for PALMER was the dream commission… I was asked to look at Palm Beach through my own lens… total artistic freedom for the week. I didn’t want it to end.
—Gillian Laub, Vol. 03

 

I made this painting with Palm Beach in mind. I painted subjects I’ve used many times over the years, things that interest me visually, and also narratively: men, women, fashion, flowers, all with strong light and shadow. The color harmonies are mostly high-key, which makes for a jaunty mood. These are all things I associate with Palm Beach—it’s practically a repository for them.
—David Salle, Vol. 04

 

Chairs have mattered to me for years. I began collecting and photographing them obsessively in 2020, especially Italian plastics from the ʼ60s and ʼ70s. Being commissioned by PALMER to photograph artists’ chairs inside one of my favorite art spaces in South Florida, The Bunker Artspace, felt quietly surreal, like a conversation between my personal archive and one I deeply admire.
—Josh Aronson, Vol. 05

 

What captured my attention in the images of Palm Beach was the colors and the mixture of beach vibes with more classic elements like statues or the architecture.
—Elisa Alcalde, Vol. 06

 

I guess one could say that I am somewhat of an extremophile. Not so much for my personal behavior but more so as an obsessive observer of the kind of eccentrics I like to call extremophiles. The “Rated R” cast, their extremely opulent personal environments, radiant personalities, and willingness to be seen, fit right into “magnificent obsessions,” as Stefano Tonchi gleaned for the spirit of his Vol.7 issue. I am grateful to each and every one who made me feel so welcomed. Tommy Hilfiger personally made me one of the best vodka martinis I have ever had. Photographing Tommy and Dee, his beautiful wife…I loved my time in Palm Beach and the images that came from our illustrious group.
—Jeff Burton, Vol. 07

 

Photographing for PALMER felt like stepping into a dream already in motion. The light, the heat, and the lushness of the place heightened my long-standing fascination with magnetic, high-power subjects that carry both force and longing, encountered in the wild and in the best possible light.
—Anastasia Samoylova Vol. 08

 

I loved being given the freedom to create with the dancers from Miami City Ballet. My background as a dancer meant we could speak the same language, which transformed the dynamic immediately. South Florida provided this beautiful, unexpected backdrop for capturing bodies in motion and landscape in conversation.
—Djeneba Aduayom, Vol. 09

 

Working with PALMER is always the highlight of my year: the freedom, the creativity, and the openness. We were all running around the city with furniture, equipment, and live animals. Of course, after two beautiful sunny days, on the morning of our shoot it was pouring rain, so we pivoted slightly and leaned into the Florida nature. These shoots are always full of true collaborations and letting our wildest ideas come true.
—Scott Semler, Vol. 10